Water cooler



Feb. 12, 1929. 1,701,978

J H.' LAKIN WATER COOLER Filed Feb. 25, 1927 2 sheets-sheet l Feb. 12,1929.

J H. LAKIN WATER COOLER Filed Feb. 25, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented Feb.l2, 1929.

rr srnr time i Meer Aifriii.

J HARRY LAKIN, F PITTSBURGH, PENSYLVALQIA, .LSSIGNDR TO LAKIN MANUFAC-TUBING- COMPANY, INC., OF PITTSBURGH, PETEISYLVANA, A CGREGRATION OFDELAWARE.

WATER COOLER.

My invention relates to improvements in apparat-us for ,re-coolingwater, by exposure to and intermingling contact with the atmosphere. Thecooling apparatus par ticularly designed` for use in connection withcondensers of refrigoratingl plants, or for similar purpose, whereby thecondensing' water surroundingl a heat absorbing:r coil within anenclosing tank may be quickly and effectively re-cooled for continuousreuse. i y

In condensing apparatus of this class. large amounts of waterareordinarily used with more or less waste and resulting eX- pcnso. One ofthe objects of the present invention is to avoid such waste by thecontinuous circulation and re-use of a main body of water, subjected toatmospheric cooling action, with means for collection, for circulationandreturn to the uppermost portion of a distributing header, andsubsequent cooling by the means herein provided.

Such means, which comprise the subject matter of the presentinvention,have for their purpose to effect frequent spraying and exposure to theatmosphere through and by nieans of a series of separated `collectingspray pans, with intervening clearance for ample air circulation'andcontact,so constructed. and arranged as tol prevent the wasteful actionof cross currentsof air.

The invention also involvesV various detail. features of constructionand operation as ,shall be more fully hereinafter described.

ln the accompanying drawings, showing one preferred embodiment of theinvention:

Fig. l is a somewhat diagrammatic view, showing the circula-ting systemin connection with a condenser;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation, partly in section. of a waterdistributing' and cooling tower embodying` the invention;

FigD 3 is an edffe elevation, partly in section, of the tower shown inFig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line lV-lV of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view of one of the transverse perforatedpans;

Fig. 6 is a detail view, showing,` a modified form of perforation.

In the drawings, 2, 2, are the outer supporting framework members forthe apparatus, preferably constructed of structural steel members, aschannels, and having a supporting base 3 mounted upon any suitablesupporting foundation. The Vchannel members 2 extend upwardly throughoutthe whole length of the tower asshown, and are connected at the top withsimilar cross inembers l, laid over and suitably connected by rivets orbolts in the usual manner of such construction.

In the lower or base portion of the tower a tank or basin adapted tocontain a body of water at or about the normal level 0;. The tank 5, vasshown, is of a length coextensive with the transverse length of thetower, but considerably wider at opposite sides, within the capacity ofitsupwardly dii/'erging walls, extending' upwardly from the base 3, andsurrounding,` the base of the tower framing.

lll'ater is initially vsupplied to the tank 5 for lling up to the normallevel, and also yfor supplementing any exhaust loss thereof by means ofa supply pipe 6 connected with a pressure main, opening into theinterior through float-controlled valveF 7 whereby to replenish thesupply when it falls below the normal line a, ci, and to shut it offwhen such level is reached.

'llank is for holding and collectingvthe cooling water for supply to thecondenser tank 8 through which passes the circulating condensing coil 9of any refiigerating` system, the cooling` water being circulated aboutsuch coil in the well known manner for con` densing;n anhydrous-animoniacontent therein in gaseous form. 1

K VVat-er for such cooling purpose is'taken directly from the lower endportion of tank 5 after beingdrawn through va protecting rscreen lO bysuction pipe l1 leading` to a pump l2 which Vsupplies such water to oneend of the tank 8 by pipe 13.

Under pressure of the pump within the closed tank 8, a correspondingamount of water is returned by pipe lll to the lowereud of a stand pipel5, .by which it is carried to the top of the tower for distribution tothe upper end of the spray pan system. At such upper end pipe l5 isextended over by a laterally arranged pipe 16, connected through the endwall 2 of the tower at its to a.

llJipe 16 is suitably secured in the opposite l the interior 'from aircurrents, while the in- 1 endwall Zby a closing cap and is provided witha longitudinal series of comparatively small spray 'ports 20. As shown,the opposite narrow sides of thetower are closed by the .coveringchannels or plates Y 2,` protecting' tervening side faces of the towerbetween the edge portions are free and unobstructed `for incoming andoutgoing air currents.

1 Y Immediately below the spray pipe 16 is the uppermost spray pan of avertical series, all

Yof whichare of the'same construction and formed vby' an upwardlyextending wall 18,

while the bottom 19 of the pan slopes down-` wardly and inwardlytherefrom toward the opposite side of the tower and is, deiiectedupwardly Vbyan inner water-retaining ledge l23,1forming the vinnerboundary of each pan.'

At the angle joint between the bottoni 19 and its upwardly turned inneredge 23, and `forming the center of a continuous trough so formed, Iprovide a series of closely adjacent comparatively small pe-rorations 24in' rows. Dueto the alternating sloping' arrangementof the pans asshown,the 'terminal Agutter and' its perforations is located above andclosely'adjacent to the outer upper edge portion of the nextlowermostpan, so'that the flow oit' water is correspondingly :alternating,providing for a reverse iow down,-

Veach side and upon the inclined surface oitk ward to `the nextlowermost gutterthroughout the series. r s 1 I "The "distributing ports20 of pipes 16 are preferably along the upper side of the'pipeV so thatthe water will fall downwardly-at the irst pan, and thereafterthroughout the entire series until v'it is finally delivered in sprayform into tank 5. 'Y l lnjFig. 6 I show Va modified constructionsignaturey wherein the holes 24a are partially punched through the sheetmeta-l, leaving the down-v wardly turned partly 'severed blank 25.Suchvportion acts as a lip or tongue tending .to -assist in dripping thewater downwardly under certain conditions of the supply.

claim: 1

1. In Ywater spray mechanism lof the class described, a rectangularspray pan made of sheet metall having a main downwardly sloping bottomwith an -uptnrned edge pro- Vviding a collecting channel lor gutter andhaving a series 'oiI water vdistributing circulation ports therethroughand having a series of punched out openings through the bottom with adownwardly extending partially punched drip tongue. 1 Y 2.111' waterspray mechanism, Vthe `combination ci' a bottom tank having verticalVend walls, aV pair oit channel` shaped ver- -ically arrangedsupportingframe members secured Within the Vend walls ci' the tank rwith theirflanges extending inwardly, a

channel yshaped top member having downwardly extending flanges embracingthe'tops of the vertical channel members and providing a closing Itoptherefor, a distributing pipe leading from the tank upwardly to ythe topportion `ot the supporting vframe members andhaving a horizontalapertured delivery section extending acrossnnderneath `the channelshaped top member, a series of alternately sloping vertically spacedspray pans extending from the topfof the supporting frame to its bottomeach having an upstanding `iiange Aalong its bottom edge providing alowermost channel with perforations alongthe bottom thereof'and havingan oppositely located upstanding flange and endmost upstand-ing crossiianges for attachment tothe lianges and webs respectively of thevertical frame members, Vthe channel portion of each of said pansvbeinglocated abovethe opposite upper portion .of the next adjacentlower pan,the uppermost of said pans being immediately below the delivery sectionof thepipeand the .lowermost pan delivering into the tan Y 'A vIntestimony whereof I hereunto'aflix my J Hangar tintin.

